Strawberry Panic! Hanabi
by Cradlerobber Speedo-kun
Summary: A new year begins at Astraea, with plenty in store for our young ladies. Amane and Hikari learn how to be the Etoile, Nagisa faces the year alone, and a transfer moves into Ichigosha. Chapter 9: Chikaru reunites with a former Astraea girl.
1. Prologue

A/N: This takes place in the anime universe of Strawberry Panic, in the year directly following the end of the anime. The characters you know and love will make their appearance in the next chapter; this is **only a prologue**. Enjoy, and remember - reviews make me happy.

**Prologue**

She stood in the open doorway, the air currents beckoning her into the interior and promising of springtime. She stepped haltingly forward, eyes glancing over the half-inhabited room. The lone window's curtain fluffed lazily in the breeze.

She knew immediately which side of the room was hers. While one side was clearly inhabited, her own was blank and sterile. The bed lacked sheets, the walls were bare, and the desk lacking in books and paper. The dearth of life to her side of the room made her shiver suddenly, a cold feeling stealing up on her even as the sun glared brightly just beyond the open window panes.

It was strange to be standing there, so painfully poised on the threshold. So strange for her, to be looking into an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar school. At seventeen, she was not supposed to be carrying suitcases into alien dormitory rooms. At seventeen, she was not supposed to be preparing to meet a new room-mate.

But, here she was, her footsteps bringing her further into this new world. And now her suitcases were set down quietly by her bare bed, and she looked out the window to see her new view. Cherryblossom trees clustered nearby, leaving a thick coating of decaying petals upon the ground. In the distance, the cathedral stood harshly against the landscape. And above the sky so blue it almost hurt to behold.

She turned her eyes from the postcard view, and let herself uneasily down on the edge of the bed. The other side of the room screamed at her, seemingly demanding attention, demanding it be noticed instead of the abandoned half. Garishly colored posters were set haphazardly against the wall, and a litany of stuffed creatures crowded the pink-sheeted bed. The desk itself had untidy stacks of notebooks and textbooks littering its surface, and half-closed drawers with pencils protruding from their depths. Finally, against this mess, a framed photograph sat precariously near the edge. Its solemn black-and-white tones seemed at odds with the scene it depicted – a girl, somewhat heavily made-up, arm hooked through the arm of a boy, leaning fully into him, face partially crushed against his chest and wide grins upon both her and his countenances. Directly underneath the picture frame was a letter, only the final lines of which were visible – "Miss you, Haruhime! Love, Daisuke."

There was a black-and-white photograph, too, in her own luggage. But it was a photograph seemingly destined to find itself tucked under the mattress, far from eyes, as opposed to so blatantly displayed. As it was, it had arrived at Astraea Hill tucked firmly near the bottom of her smaller suitcase, facedown against the gray lining. The presence of her own room-mate's giddy photograph had prompted her first thought of it since she had tossed it there.

"Yukizawa-san, I presume?"

The voice, with its clipped edges, brought her out of her reverie, and she now stood, turned towards the door. Her own voice, when it came, was somewhat bland, "Yukizawa Fuyuko. Pleased to meet you."

"Kajiura Haruhime – likewise."

The other girl, though, stood in the doorframe, scrutinizing Fuyuko. When she tossed her head suddenly, reflexively, it was clear her judgment had been passed. She passed fully into the room now, and made her way fluidly to her wreck of a desk. She looked once more at Fuyuko before she sat down, and then spoke with her back turned "I miss my room-mate dearly – she is ailing."

There was a pause.

"And you are not her."

A burst of wind curled the drapes, and Fuyuko let loose a breath she had not known was held. And, thus, her tenth year of schooling began.


	2. Chapter One

A/N: And now, your regularly scheduled Strawberry Panic! characters.

**Chapter Two**

Yaya fiddled with the ends of her hair as she sat on the bed. The new term was to begin the following Monday. From where she sat, Yaya could see Hikari's neat, pale blue suitcases underneath her bed, but the girl herself was absent. Yaya had half-smiled at that, for she had little doubt as to where the other young woman was – she only hoped Hikari intended to return before supper.

In moving in, Yaya had had to do very little. Her sheets had remained on the bed during break, and she had likewise neglected to bring home her uniforms. She had carried but one suitcase into the room, albeit a large one, and from here she had extracted undergarments, pajamas, toiletries, and a few non-uniform items of clothing, all of which were then unceremoniously dropped into a few of the drawers in her bureau. A small bad, separate from the suitcase, contained a few personal items.

But with everything put away, Yaya found herself with little to do. The students of St. Miator were to move in the following day, and many of her classmates were not scheduled to arrive until later in the evening. As for St. le Rim… well, she didn't know any of them terribly well, and she suspected that their loose rules did not require their girls to be on campus until the last possible minute.

So she flopped backwards on her bed, stared at the ceiling, and waited for Hikari to return.

As she lay, her thoughts began to bubble, and those she had suppressed so well fought valiantly to return to the surface once more. Hikari - her unbidden thoughts always regarded the girl, even after she had let her walk away to the Etoile ceremony with Amane. And Hikari was no longer the little flower she'd once been – at the very least, Yaya was excruciatingly aware of that. She had skipped the ceremony exactly for that.

The time after the Etoile ceremony had passed very quickly, and under the weight of exams Yaya didn't have time to think about anything not relating to the Pythagorean Theorem, the Warring States Period, or the fine language of Spain. She had parted company with Hikari amiably enough, but had pointedly ignored all phone calls and happy postcards since. Separation seemed to be the best antidote of all.

But now she was back in the room, could see Hikari's uniform set out on her chair, and could even smell the girl's presence in the air itself. It had been easy to forget Hikari with hundreds of miles between them, but this bed separation of mere feet unkindly suggested her attempted delusions were about to end.

Yaya stood up with a loud sigh, and crossed to the window, which she then threw open to the outside atmosphere; at the very least, it would clear her head a bit. Even from the high window, the garden smells of spring floated up to her. She closed her eyes and leaned on the sill, breathing in deeply. It was a gorgeous late spring afternoon.

From her window, Yaya could see the solid buildings of St. Miator, dark in the afternoon sunshine. She laughed slightly as she considered how close Miator was to the dorm, and pictured Nagisa expressing relief over this fact. Nagisa would have been extremely ill-suited to Spica, all things considered. Although, Yaya thought with a smirk, being in the school of _brides_ also seemed to have been an error on someone's part…

There was a knock at the door now, and Yaya stepped back from the window. She swiveled on her heel, and called out, "Come in!"

The door was cautiously eased open, and a pink-haired girl stuck her head in.

"Oh, Tsubomi – you can come in, but Hikari isn't here, I think she's off doing Etoile business."

Tsubomi stepped into her room and tossed her head. "I wasn't looking for Hikari." She said, somewhat sharply.

Yaya smirked, "Well, I suppose that's good – I doubt the good prince Amane would be terribly happy if you tried to steal away the princess."

At this the other girl ducked her head slightly, blushing and looking indignant, "I would never do such a thing!"

Yaya shrugged, falling back onto her bed once again, "It doesn't really matter, since Hikari wouldn't want to part company with her dear Amane anyway." She paused, "Aren't you going to come in more? You can sit down if you want."

Tsubomi scowled, and closed the door behind herself, before she settled into Yaya's desk chair. She looked over the room, taking in the differences between either side. On the floor, Yaya's suitcase lay partially open.

"How was your break?"

"Oh, it was alright – there wasn't much to do, no one lives near me. Chiyo did come visit once, although she didn't seem to have much fun – I think she was afraid of my dog."

"My god, that girl is timid."

"And what about you, Yaya?"

"We-ell…" There was a pause here, "Well… really nothing, I suppose. I did my homework, I saw a few relatives, slept a lot…"

"You didn't see Hikari at all?" Tsubomi was, for once, unguardedly incredulous.

Yaya avoided her gaze, an uncomfortable silence slowly forming. She searched vainly for words, "Well, I… you know, we do live pretty far apart, and break isn't that long… I think she was fairly busy… and, well, you know, you always mean to see your friends, but then you don't get to…"

Tsubomi looked skeptical, but remained silent.

"And, besides, how come you did not visit Hikari at all?"

The blush was back furiously, and she sputtered, "Well, I was busy, too! I had a lot of homework – I think they gave us way more than you had to do when you were a first year!"

Yaya's face creased into laughter, and Tsubomi looked even more frustrated than she had previously. She whirled around, and stormed out of the room, "And I was going to ask you to go down to dinner with me! I hope you get stuck going alone!"

Yaya watched the girl, somewhat bemused. The door was slammed in her wake, making the window panes shudder slightly from the force. Alone in the room, Yaya absentmindedly sorted the books on her desk, her back to Hikari's side of the room. She frowned down at the books – surely this wasn't the Literature textbook they were using this year? She could've sworn it was the same from the prior trimester…

She sat down at the desk, having finished with the books, and doodled slightly on a fresh notebook page. Bubbles took form on the paper, and she wondered if the broken washing machine in the Spica laundry-room had been repaired during the break. It had broken down immediately following the Etoile election, belching forth suds whenever anyone dared pour in detergent – and Sister Catherine, while certainly more modern than the sisters of Miator, had been extremely upset at the mess created by giggling first-years with altogether too much time on their hands.

The page was slowly filling when the doorknob jiggled slightly, and a soft voice came, "Oh, it's unlocked." Even before the door swung ajar, Yaya was on her feet. Hikari stared from the doorframe, Amane poised in discomfort at the sight of Yaya.

"Oh, Yaya! Did you just get here?"

"Uh, just a little while ago. I unpacked already, though…"

Hikari came into the room, brightly smiling, although the young woman behind her walked in more stilted fashion. It was very clear to Yaya that she was not entirely welcome at the moment.

Yet, Hikari, in general fashion, seemed to be blissfully unaware of the slight hostility being beamed in her room-mate's direction. She continued to smile, "I haven't seen you in so long, Yaya – I wish you'd told me when you were getting here."

Hikari had changed a bit in their weeks spent apart, that much was clear. Her voice was still soft, and there was still the air of shyness about her, but there was also an undercurrent of confidence to her which had simply not existed previously. Amane was, admittedly, good for her. Even after being room-mates for so long, Yaya had no been able to elicit the change in Hikari that Amane had managed to cause in a few short months.

"Well," Yaya began, forcing a smile, "I wasn't too sure when I was getting here."

"I'm glad you're here now, Yaya – would you like to come down to dinner with us?"

"Oh, well, I had kind of already promised Tsubomi I'd go down with her… she came by earlier, and I told her I'd meet her by the staircase. Maybe we can meet up later?"

"Oh! That'd be nice."

"Well, I'll see you later, then, Hikari."

She waved to her as she left the room, key wrapped firmly around her hand. The door shut softly behind her, and for a moment she stood there, eyes blank. But then there was a sigh, and as the voices in the room behind her became audible, she moved down the corridor.

She sincerely hoped Tsubomi's anger would prove short-lived.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Reviews are always greatly appreciated.

**Chapter Two **

****Tamao and Nagisa were making their way to the dining room, having finally finished dragging Tamao's brass-bound trunk up their impressive front staircase. Although Tamao had initially intended to un-pack before the meal, Nagisa's crestfallen look had caused a change in her plans. The red-haired girl was now happily bubbling next to her, having overheard a few of their classmates returning from dinner express delight over the strawberry shortcake that had been their dessert. Tamao simply smiled in return, satisfied merely with her companion's presence…

And, well, Shizuma's lack of presence; however, this was not something she was planning to mention to her friend. Nagisa was happy, and so Tamao could be happy. She told herself this calmly, coolly – and she had let no more daydreams blossom since she had pushed Nagisa to Shizuma in the middle of the Etoile ceremony. Her fists suddenly tightened on the folds of her skirt, knuckles whitened.

"Ne, ne, Tamao, do you think they'll have enough strawberry shortcake for me to get seconds?"

"Well, with your cute face, I'm sure they will!"

Nagisa giggled slightly in response, visibly happy – if she took any special note of Tamao's compliment, she did not show it. Nagisa was not a fool as many took her to be; she realized Tamao's extra affection, even if she did not seem to. Yet, life seemed so much simpler when one ignored potential difficulties.

Tamao pushed open the glass doors of the dining room, and the two girls passed into the high-ceilinged room. Large windows stretched from floor to ceiling, and the early evening sun stained portions of the carpeting a dense red. From the corner a person looked up, and then waved, "Nagisa! Tamao! Over here!"

Tamao took Nagisa's arm lightly, and guided her over, noticing the girl's wandering attention upon sight of the desserts. She pulled out chairs for herself and Nagisa, and they sat down with greetings. Tamao looked around briefly before turning back to the table, "Where's Hikari?"

"Ah…" Yaya looked slightly darker at this, "She's with Amane… they had to eat with the student council presidents – it's all part of the Etoile thing."

"Oh! Of course!" Tamao smiled sheepishly, embarrassed for having brought it up.

"They didn't eat with us yesterday, either." Tsubomi pouted from her place beside Yaya.

"Ah, come now; don't get upset, you know they're busy." Yaya said smilingly, patting the pink-haired girl on the head. Tsubomi turned away slightly, looking thoroughly irritated.

"Ta-maooo, what about our food?" Nagisa asked pleadingly, interrupting the conversation.

"Haha, okay, don't worry, I haven't forgotten." She turned to the girls across the table, "We'll be right back."

When they returned, they sat down once more, Nagisa happily humming over her shortcake. Tsubomi was picking at the remains of her salad, and Yaya had just finished off her pasta.

"So, when did you guys get here?"

"Oh, well, I got here yesterday afternoon."

"I got here in the morning."

"Ah, that's right; Spica students have to move in earlier than we do…"

"Haha, yeah, I'd expect you guys in Miator to have to get here first… so when did both of you arrive?"

"Mm, I arrived in the afternoon, and Tamao got here right when I was about to come down to dinner." Nagisa smiled, "I helped her get her trunk up the stairs! But she still has to unpack."

"It looks like I won't be having this much fun this evening."

"How's Hikari?"

The question was naively inquisitive, and Yaya shifted slightly in her seat at it before responding, "We-ell, I haven't seen all that much of her… she's been very busy with Etoile things. But she said she had a fun break and that she's glad to be back."

"How about you, Nagisa?"

"I had a ton of fun!" She paused and blushed, "I got to go a lot of places with Shizuma, and she even helped me with my French homework."

Another question was asked of Nagisa in regards to Shizuma, but Tamao didn't hear it, her thoughts suddenly elsewhere. Hanazono Shizuma. Not her. She had seen Nagisa only once, about a week into the break, and only because she'd gone to see Nagisa. There had been many assurances that Nagisa would come stay with her for a while (her family owned a hotel, for crying out loud!), but it had not come to pass. Tamao had spent the break helping at the front desk on occasion, doing her homework, and running pointless errands around town. She had to admit she honestly didn't have any friends outside of her classmates.

She found herself suddenly full, and began to absentmindedly push the remaining half-strawberries from her dessert around the plate with her fork. She had mostly eaten traditional food while at home, and initially the Western implements at her command had felt heavy and awkward in her hands. It was like riding a bicycle in that sense, and now, at the close of the meal, her hands expertly manipulated them, weaving her fork in a semi-steady pattern around the flat porcelain plate.

A chair moved back sharply, and she snapped back to the present reality, realizing everyone was finished. She pushed her own chair back, and stood, taking her plate with her. Someone said something and she smiled reflexively, unsure of what the words had been.

After depositing their emptied plated and dirty silverware on the revolving dish rack, they entered the hallway, chatting pleasantly.

"And then Chigusa's bed just collapsed! I kept telling her last year it would happen eventually, but she never believed me!"

Tamao laughed at this, finally cognizant of the conversation – one joyfully bereft of Shizuma. Tsubomi and her room-mate seemed mismatched – Chigusa loved stretching the limits of rules and regulations, while Tsubomi herself enjoyed informing people of them. But the two got along amiably enough, even if they bickered frequently. The bed was itself only the latest piece of furniture Chigusa had done harm to – there had been an incident the trimester before involving a chair at the bottom of the swimming pool, and another incident involving a step-stool in the library the one before.

"So her mattress is on the floor now because they took away the bed to fix… the Sister was threatening to not return it at all, though, and then said she might take away her desk and chair also to protect them – Chigusa was whining about it all morning even though we know Sister would never do that."

"Guess the rest of us are lucky, then." Yaya smirked, "Hikari's never broken furniture, and I'm sure Nagisa and Tamao never have, either."

"I just wished she followed the rules a little more… I know for a fact that she does _not _wear white undergarments."

The group burst into laughter, and Tsubomi looked momentarily confused, before assuming her usual look of annoyance, "She puts her clothes out the night before! And we're supposed to only have white underwear!"

"And everyone thinks Miator has bizarre rules…" Yaya choked out between snorts of laughter.

The giggles began to subside, and they walked along in a comfortable silence. Tamao's hand went unconsciously to her hair-ribbon, and she tugged on it slightly, tightening the knot. Yaya noticed the movement and looked over curiously. She blinked then in surprise, "Tamao, you cut your hair!"

Tamao self-consciously touched the ends of her loose hair, "Uh, yes, I just got it cut a little shorter… I don't usually get to have it cut during the term, after all."

Her hair, previously hanging as low as her belly-button, now curled slightly in the humidity at breast-level. Nagisa looked over, "Your hair was so long, Tamao…"

"Oh, it's still plenty long, Nagisa!" Tamao rejoined with a smile. Nagisa had, apparently, not noticed the change on her own – Tamao had to admit she'd been hoping that perhaps the girl had noticed and was planning on mentioning it later. Didn't manners sometimes require such? In case one was wrong, of course, one didn't want to just bring it up in public…

But her thoughts were interrupted as they rounded the corner and almost ran right into Chiyo, who was rushing down the carpeted corridor. The young girl skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding impact, as the group stopped suddenly, bumping into each other. She bowed rapidly, flustered, "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have been running! I'm so sorry Nagisa-onee-sama! I didn't mean to, I almost caused you so much trouble!"

"Ah, now, it's okay!" Nagisa said, attempting to halt the girl's rapid bowing movements.

"I just wanted to find you." Chiyo looked up, sadness crossing onto her face, her eyes wobbling slightly with moisture.

"It's okay, really – we should've looked for you earlier, anyway, so it's only our own fault."

Tamao stepped forward, speaking kindly, "Have you had dinner yet, Chiyo? If you haven't, we can go back and stay with you while you eat."

Chiyo shook her head, "Oh, no! I ate on the train, its okay!"

"Why were you in such a rush to find us?"

"Oh!" The girl looked sheepish, blushing slightly, "I had almost forgotten." She turned back, peering down the hallway. The other girls followed her gaze, but as yet there was nothing visible in the short section of hallway before them. Chiyo frowned worriedly, "Um…"

And then, around the next corner a figure appeared, approaching at a relaxed pace. The girl was clad in a St. le Rim summer uniform, black stockings and ankle-boots at odds with the season. She stopped a few feet from the group, and Chiyo turned back to the group with a wide smile, "This is my cousin!"

The girl inclined her head slightly, "Yukizawa Fuyuko – pleased to make your acquaintance."


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: I expect there to be fears of this becoming a Mary-Sue fanfic; I am happy to assure you that this shall not be. I set out to write this fanfic as a "what if" for a second season, so to speak. Generally, in second seasons of series like Strawberry Panic!, new characters appear – thus, in a fanfic written in the styling of a second season, a new character is bound to make an appearance. However, new characters never become the focus of a show, and, as such, neither will any non-canon characters presented here.

Just thought I'd get that out there, especially as Mary-Sue and Gary-Lou fics make me feel ill.

**Chapter Three**

There was a flurry of introductions on the parts of Nagisa and the other girls, all in fairly cheerful tones. Fuyuko was quiet, inclining her head slightly at each new name, and ending with a repeat of her earlier words, "I am pleased to meet your acquaintance."

Although she had stockings on, Fuyuko was wearing the summertime St. le Rim uniform, short sleeves at odds with her cold-weather shoes and nylons. A single thick braid of pale blue hair coiled over her shoulder, the split-ends visible against the front of her seifuku's collar. Her eyes held the cold, flat quality of junk-store emeralds, barely betraying any trace of life in the girl.

"She just transferred here; she's a fifth-year." Chiyo explained, her voice characteristically soft, "She moved in yesterday."

"Why don't we all go back to our room; I have some fresh tea-bags I brought with me, so we can get to know you a little over tea." Tamao suggested after a moment, "We are blocking the hallway, after all…"

"No blocking corridors or doorways!" Tsubomi suddenly shouted shrilly, and Yaya rolled her eyes from behind the girl. St. Spica's thirteenth rule was not one generally observed. But Tamao smiled pleasantly, "Then we shall move along now."

Fuyuko looked uncomfortable, but as the group made their way back to Tamao and Nagisa's room, she followed at an acceptable distance. Upon reaching the room, Tamao pulled a key from her cuff, and unlocked the pine door. She crossed the room quickly, and firmly shut the window against the cooling air as the others entered the room. Nagisa retrieved the kettle from its storage place and went into the bathroom to fetch water, while Tsubomi and Yaya bounced themselves down onto Tamao's bed. Chiyo cheerfully opted for Nagisa's bed.

Fuyuko stood in the doorway, uncertain, before stepping inside. She closed the door, but remained standing, only a foot within the threshold.

Turning from the window, Tamao noticed this, "Yukizawa, you are welcome to come and sit down."

Fuyuko nodded, and now stepped towards Tamao's desk, cautiously easing the chair from its usual spot. She sat, back straight, and avoided looking at the other girls. She had always hated meeting new people, and this time was no different. In some ways, it was more awkward than meeting her room-mate had been, even though that girl had very clearly disliked her. But in that case… well, there'd only been one person. And that one person had already made the unilateral decision to run a rope across the middle of the room, complete with a faded floral sheet as a make-shift wall.

Her room-mate had been cold and direct. She also had not cared about any of Fuyuko's circumstances. This warm group, bubbling with energy, seemed sure to be inquisitive. She shot a veiled glance at the frog-shaped alarm clock sitting on Nagisa's headboard; there were still hours to go before lights-out.

Mismatched cups were handed out, and tea poured. Fuyuko gripped her own cup desperately, the heat seeping into her needy fingers. Tamao poured her own cup last before setting the kettle down on the window sill. As she settled into Nagisa's desk chair,

Yaya took a sip of her tea before looking to Fuyuko, "Where did you go to high school before?"

"Keisuke Senior High School."

"Oh, one of my friends from elementary school goes there… isn't it in Kyoto?"

"Yes."

Yaya grinned, "She always said she hated it!"

Fuyuko looked away, her gaze resting on the cold panes of glass, "I liked it…"

"Ah, well!" Yaya started, aware of her faux pas, "She's never been a very good student, and I don't think she even wanted to go to high school – her dream is to become a hair dresser for celebrities."

"Oh."

"Have you met your room-mate yet?" Tamao asked, setting her teacup down on its saucer.

There was an audible pause, "Yes, I have."

"Oh, wait, have you met Chikaru yet?" Nagisa burst in, nearly unsettling her cup in the process.

"Chikaru?"

Nagisa nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, she's the president of St. le Rim's student council! She's really, really nice."

Fuyuko shook her head, "No, I have not met her."

"Aww…"

"Oh, Nagisa, don't worry – I'm sure she'll have to meet her soon, she's a new transfer, after all." Despite Tamao's assurances, Nagisa still looked disappointed; to her, Chikaru was a wonderful person; for someone to have not met her yet was almost saddening.

"She's probably been busy with student council duties, anyway – I know that the student council has been meeting with Hikari and Amane almost non-stop." Yaya said.

"Who is the student council president from St. Spica now, anyway?" Tamao asked, looking up from Nagisa.

"Mm, some girl named Kitagawa Yurika… I don't really know who she is, other than that she's a sixth year. Supposedly the Sister is fond of her. What about yours[Miyuki is gone, after all…"

"Moriyama Mami. I'm actually not sure who she is, either." Tamao admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, we'll probably meet them at some point, since Hikari will know her now." Yaya turned to Fuyuko again, "Hikari is my room-mate – she's half of the Etoile along with Amane, a sixth year. The Etoile is sort of like… well…" She paused, thinking hard, "I guess the best way to describe it is that they're like the king and queen of the school."

"Oh." Another monosyllabic answer from the unfamiliar girl. She looked at the clock again – barely ten minutes had crawled by. She swirled her tea around the cup, trying to think of a reason to excuse herself. They were too nice – it was impossible to depart rudely.

"I need to put sheets on my bed." She said suddenly, blinking in surprise at her own words. The conversation had progressed during her rapid thoughts, and now the other girls halted their words, looking in slight surprise at the abrupt utterance. She stood up, and set her half-full teacup down on the desk behind her, "I'm sorry, I need to put the sheets on my bed."

Yaya filled the brief silence, "Well, that's understandable – but feel free to come see any of us any time. I live in Spica 112; you should meet my room-mate sometime."

"Ah, thank you." She forced a half-hearted smile, and bowed, "Thank you for the tea." The door creaked open in her unsteady hands, and she closed it too loudly. The thud seemed to echo in her mind, and she flinched against it.

When she returned to her own room, she had to open the door carefully. One corner of the sheet was pinned to the back of the door, and it drooped as she swung the door inwards. Haruhime was sprawled on her bed, cellphone firmly in hand. An irritated look entered her features upon Fuyuko's entry, but she continued her rapid-fire conversation. It seemed she was talking to her boyfriend.

Fuyuko ducked under the "wall", and made her way in the semi-darkness to her bed. As she flopped onto the bed, a picture frame poked her from beneath the sheets.

* * *

"She's very quiet."

It was an innocent remark, made after the door's noise disappeared. There were nods of ascent in response.

"She's your cousin?" Tsubomi inquired of Chiyo.

"Yes, a second-cousin. But I don't really know her well; the last time I saw her I was eight."

"Well, she's probably shy… it's a bit awkward to transfer in as a fifth year. Hikari was really quiet when she first transferred." Yaya said thoughtfully.

"She's _still_ quiet!" Tsubomi interjected.

"Ah, true, but she was even more quiet, if you can believe it. She's actually less shy since becoming Etoile…"

"That's just because she has to be." Tsubomi crossed her arms and frowned pointedly, signifying that she, at least, felt the conversation was over. Yaya rolled her eyes and didn't bother to argue any further, sensing the futility in doing so. She turned her attention back to Chiyo, "Do you know why she transferred?"

The younger girl shook her head, "No, I don't. My mother's cousin just called up one day and asked my mother is the schools here at Astraea were any good, and then a few weeks later she called again to say Fuyuko was transferring to le Rim."

"Huh. I wonder why, then…"

The girls chatted further, although the topic soon changed to more everyday things, ranging from complaints regarding certain classes to any room changes classmates had made between the school years. Finally, Yaya stood up with a sigh, "I have to go – it'll be lights out soon, and I know Hikari forgot to bring her key when she left earlier."

"Oh! I should go too." Tsubomi said, leaping up, "Thanks for the tea, Tamao." She respectfully handed her floral-print cup to Tamao, who set it with the rest of the empty cups.

"Your welcome; it was nice to have all of you."

"I'll walk you back to your room, Chiyo." Nagisa offered, prompting a blush and grateful stuttering on the other girl's part.

With the room empty, Tamao carried the cups into the bathroom. She stood by the sink, hot water running and fogging the dusty mirror. She briefly wondered how the mirror had gotten so dusty – they hadn't been gone from school too long now. As she began to roll up her sleeves for the task ahead of her, she caught sight of a ribbon on the floor by the cabinet. She leaned down, and picked it up; it was the ribbon she'd pulled from Nagisa's hair on that early spring morning. She gripped it for a moment, staring.

In the newly humid air, she sighed.


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: I don't really have an author's note this time… uh… I love reviews?

**Chapter Three**

It had been hard to start over.

Momomi and Kaname were back to the early days of their relationship, treading lightly and behaving delicately. They were firmly at square one, hands clasped tentatively together, shared moments bereft of kisses. It was strange, and sometimes Momomi hated it.

But in starting over their relationship was not exactly as it had been when it was new. Now, she felt a touch of suspicion towards the other girl, one she feared would grow and poison the relationship. But Kaname was being so good to her, was trying so hard to think of her first. So she had to try, she had promised to try – and, really, although she had she had been so hurt by Kaname, she still… well, she supposed it must've been love – could mere infatuation have survived such a nasty shock?

So she tried, and Kaname tried, and it wasn't easy, but they kept at it regardless.

Kaname had come twice every week during break, even though it was an hour and fifteen-hundred yen by train each way. When she came each Monday, she had brought flowers. And Momomi had saved one flower every week, although she'd never said so. They had walked down warm streets, fraught with discomfiting silences; but as time had passed, words had become easier and hands had found one another in the sunshine.

When she'd opened the door to their room, she had found a vase full of flowers awaiting her. She had smiled at that, smiled in the empty room, shifting the flowers this way and that in the sea-green vase. She felt giddy and silly, the old thrill of when they had first become a couple returning. She had left quickly then and returned later with a box of chocolate-covered chestnuts – they had always been Kaname's favorite.

The kiss had come a few days later, a quick peck on the cheek, followed by Kaname blushing furiously. Momomi had laughed suddenly, compulsively, and teased Kaname over her rapid reddening. She felt wonderful and light, the suspicion ebbing away with each new moment.

One day, walking together, they passed by the Etoile. But if Kaname noticed this, there was no evidence to it. When they were out of view, Momomi had seized Kaname's arm, and held herself close, head leaned into shoulder as they walked. Kaname looked down, confused, "What was that for?"

"Ah, well," She smiled, "No particular reason."

Everything was going to be alright.


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Well, I'm back at school, so updates are going to be a bit slower in coming now.

**Chapter Five**

It was not something she was going to admit. Hikari sat, patiently and quietly, listening to the presidents of the three schools explain and discuss issues regarding Astraea. But she was terribly bored, and the meager bento lunches that had been provided had not managed to completely fill her. From the corner of her eye she could see Amane; the other girl, however, was not secretive in her boredom – it instead gleamed fairly clearly on her face. But it did not seem that the presidents cared.

On the other three sides of the table sat the presidents: Chikaru, Moriyama Mami, and Kitagawa Yurika. Mami and Yurika were bickering bitterly, their shrill voices seeming to expand infinitely in the damp air while Chikaru remained mostly silent, an amused smirk on her face. Mami and Yurika were happily carrying on the traditional rivalry between Miator and Spica.

"Well, I think that this year Miator should be permitted to host the combined sports' festival! I can't think of the last time anyone other than Spica got to do so!"

"You're kidding, right?" Yurika laughed sarcastically, "Why would anyone other than Spica do it? Spica excels in sports – Miator is more for the quiet academics – don't you have your own little cultural festival to be concerned with?"

"Cultural festival? You know full well that le Rim has _that_ this year! Miator doesn't have a single festival scheduled yet!"

"So figure out your own festival! You can't just go around stealing ours, can't you guys think of anything? I thought you were supposed to be _smart_ – isn't that what Miator is all about?"

"Cultural festival, sports' festival… what on earth is left after that?! I wish someone would tell me why our cultural festival got taken away in the first place!"

"Now, now…" Chikaru interrupted with a smile, "Unfortunately, the festivals were decided by the dearly departed Miyuki and Shion, so at this point it is a bit impossible to alter them. Moriyama, there is still the early summer festival, no one is doing that yet, and I personally would be happy to have Miator do that one – would you like to?"

Mami looked sulkily towards Chikaru, pausing before finally admitting a grudging, "Yes."

At the other side of the table, Yurika preened, her smile altogether too-full of teeth.

"Well," Chikaru clapped her hands together, "Now that that is straightened away, I think we should leave further discussion until next meeting – we have run a bit over, and I'm sure Hikari and Amane have other things to attend to." She turned to the Etoile, "Correct?"

Amane seemed relieved as she answer, "Yes, we have to get over to the green house before dark." She stood, taking Hikari's hand as she did so, "Good evening."

Hikari inclined her head before departing, "I hope you have a good evening."

Past the door, Amane let her arm fall lightly on Hikari's shoulders, bringing the younger girl closer to herself. Hikari smiled in the sunset colors, leaning her head against Amane's arm. After all that had happened the previous year, she felt lucky, walking there as the Etoile with Amane all to herself. Amane had been an idol. Hikari had fallen for her even not knowing this, and that she had been the one to end up happily ever after in the end made her consider herself to be blessed. She had great friends, and a wonderful girlfriend – was there any more she could ask for?

Her face darkened very slightly, and they passed outside into the cooling night air. She could ask that her room-mate would seem less strained when she was around. Yaya cared. And maybe that was exactly the problem, after all. She cared a lot.

Hikari certainly appreciated Yaya's affection. Yaya had reached out her hand to her room-mate in the beginning, the lonely beginning at St. Spica. She had been so upset after her mistake during the choir concert, but Yaya had cheered her up and stood there for her. And whenever Hikari had been shy, Yaya had made up for it by being extra-loud. Yaya had never been anything but wonderful.

Yet… Hikari did not forget the kiss. It had shocked her, and had imprinted itself upon her, searing a permanent placement in her memory. She felt that the repair of their friendship had been, in the end, superficial at best, even if it had been an emotional one. Yaya had not attended the Etoile ceremony.

But, truly, what could she do? She loved Yaya, yes, but she loved Yaya as a dear friend, not the love she was beginning to feel develop for Amane. She wanted to grow old with Amane – and she wanted to always be able to call up Yaya and just speak with her. It was entirely different.

So, the friendship remained in a somewhat strained state. And it made her sad, but she could only sincerely wish it would pass. She knew it would be nearly impossible to simply talk it out with Yaya – Hikari knew that she herself find it to difficult to even summon the topic, and she also knew Yaya would not be willing to stay around to discuss it. So things stayed the same.

"You look a bit sad."

Hikari realized with a start that they were outside the greenhouse, and that they had come to a halt, the broad doors closed before them. She smiled, somewhat painfully, "Ah, I'm just thinking it'll be sad when the lilies die – the season for them is almost over."

Amane patted her head slightly, a kind smile upon her face, "Don't worry – they'll come around again. And there are the roses – they'll be coming into bloom as soon as those lilies fade." She opened the door to the greenhouse, gesturing for Hikari to step inside, "I think you worry too much."

In the greenhouse, Hikari smiled watched Amane come in, "You're probably right."

Amane slipped her arms around Hikari, wrapping the blonde girl in an embrace, and lowered her face. Hikari met her half-way and murmured, "You're probably right…"


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Come on folks, you know all authors love feedback.

**Chapter Six**

There was a knock on the door and Yaya started slightly, knocked out of her concentration by the noise. The knock came again, and she smiled at her jumpiness, calling out a "Come in!" as she returned to her work. The door opened, "Gee, I'm surprised you're back so early, Hikari, I was sure that you'd be late because of the student council thing."

"Uh…" There was a slight clearing of the throat, and the voice that spoke did not belong to Hikari. Yaya looked up, "Oh! I'm sorry, I just expected it to be Hikari…"

Tsubomi stood just beyond the doorway, right hand still lingering on the doorknob. In her left arm she clutched a crisp textbook to her chest along with a notebook, pink mechanical pencil clutched in her hand. She was biting her lip and looked slightly flustered, her movements completely paused.

Yaya stared back, strangely caught in the moment. But it had soon passed, and she shook her head to clear it, before speaking again, "Well? Are you going to come in or not?"

Tsubomi blushed furiously, embarrassed, "Of course I am! I wouldn't just knock on your door for nothing!" She charged into the room, closing the door with too much effort, and thudded herself down onto Yaya's bed. She glared, almost challenging Yaya to comment on her method of entry, but Yaya merely looked amused at her behavior.

"So, what brings you here? Hikari's off somewhere… she's actually probably not done with all the Etoile stuff she had to do today."

"I wasn't looking for her."

Yaya was a little surprised by the irritation in the other girl's tone, but was cut off from responding when Tsubomi spoke again, "I came because I wanted help with my math homework… Hikari is awful at math, I'd never ask her."

"Ah… lemme see, you must have Kareda-sensei for it, right? It'd probably be better if you asked her, though… she's really good at helping students out."

"Well, I don't want to ask her! I know you do well in math, and you did this stuff already, so I want your help."

Yaya shrugged, "Well, alright, but I did take that class two years ago, so I'm probably not too sharp on it any more."

But the textbook was handed over, open to the section of homework which Tsubomi had due the following morning. Yaya studied the page, and pulled out a fresh piece of paper. She nodded to the other side of the room, her eyes still regarding the problems presented, "Drag Hikari's desk chair over, it'll be easier for me to show you if you sit right next to me."

Tsubomi obeyed, picking up the chair to bring over when it squealed upon being moved on the wooden floorboards. She set it down next to Yaya, and perched on the edge, leaning over the desk and the work being produced below.

"Well, I did the first problem just to refresh my memory; what is it you're having trouble with?"

"Um, the part where you have to…"

They worked, Yaya patiently showing Tsubomi how it was done, and Tsubomi following her lead. Problems were solved first by Yaya, then a few were done together, and finally Tsubomi took over, moving slowly through the page, Yaya quietly checking them as she worked on the next problem.

"Well!" Yaya stretched, "I think you're getting the hang of it. Is that all there is for your homework?"

"Yes."

"Good – I still have my own homework to finish!"

"Oh!" Tsubomi flushed, "I didn't know you still had homework to do."

"Nah, don't worry about it – there isn't much, and its just Japanese literature. Anyway, I don't mind helping either, helps break up the monotony of my own schoolwork."

"But I don't want you to get behind…"

"Oh, please, I don't really care – I don't really have to worry about my grades until next year if I wanna go to college." Yaya said with a wink.

But Tsubomi stood up suddenly, snatching back her homework and book, and pushed the chair away, looking angry, "How can you say that? You shouldn't bother if you're not going to try!" She picked up the chair and rapidly deposited on the other side of the room before huffing out of the room, slamming the door once more.

Yaya blinked, dumbfounded at the younger girl's abrupt departure. But she shrugged, deciding it was a bit par for the course as far as Tsubomi was concerned. And, besides, she _did_ have to finish her own homework, even if she was not looking forward to it – not to mention, it was doubtless she could get Tsubomi to be more agreeable even if she did follow her…

So it was back to the homework, at least for now.

The next day, Yaya was walking down the hallway of Spica's main building, headed for choir practice. She had not managed to finish her Japanese literature homework, and had only narrowly avoided detention – Maeda-sensei was a big fan of the choir, and knew there was a concert coming up, a stroke of luck for Yaya.

* * *

One of the classroom doors rolled open, and Tsubomi stepped out, an odd look on her face.

"Oh, hey Tsubomi."

"Here!"

Yaya looked down at Tsubomi's outstretched hands, hands which were tightly gripping a small white box with an iris bud pinned to it. She took the box, and gingerly opened it. Inside lay a pile of miniature cookies, and she smiled, "Thanks, Tsubomi."

Tsubomi let her hands fall to her side and look away, her cheeks slightly reddened, mumbling, "I just wanted to thank you for your help… I'm sorry I got mad…"

Yaya shrugged, "You don't need to worry about it, I wasn't upset."

The pink-haired girl continued to look away, scuffling her feet on the floor, and said nothing.

"Well, anyway," Yaya said, tucking the box into her schoolbag, "We should get going, or we'll be late for choir." She turned, beckoning the other girl to follow her, and Tsubomi stepped up, falling into a steady pace close by Yaya's side. Behind them in the corridor, Hikari turned away. She supposed she could take a different route that day.


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: Slower on the updates – I am at school, after all.

**Chapter Seven**

Sometimes she wished she wasn't the good friend.

On Wednesday, Tamao had gone to the mailroom after class. The woman at the desk smiled pleasantly, and handed the packet of letters intended for the occupants of her room. At Astraea, letters were addressed by room number in addition to name, so that one could fetch their roommate's letters, too. The only way to avoid this was to request specifically that one's roommate could not pick up one's own mail; it was a hassle that few could be bothered with.

It was a slim pile of envelopes that was passed to her, and as she walked she sorted through them quickly. Three for herself, two for Nagisa. On her own envelopes were the telltale spidery writing of various elder relatives, and she smiled slightly, thinking of them warmly. Both her grandmothers had attended Astraea in their day. Nagisa's first envelope also prompted a smile, the address written haphazardly in the crayon of a six year old.

Yet… and now she paused, frowning. The second letter was neatly addressed at a severe angle, and the return address was one she could not quite bring herself to like. Hanazono Shizuma. Lillian College. Musashino, Tokyo. Her lip curled somewhat, a curdling sensation hinting at the back of her throat.

But she set the letter down on Nagisa's desk, next to the colorful letter she'd already set down. She turned, her lips pursed, and sat determinedly down in her own chair, hands going mechanically to her letter opener. The blade flashed in the afternoon sun, temporarily dazzling her eyes. But her hands continued to move, slicing open her own envelopes.

She read the contents of her own letters in perfunctory fashion – she already knew what was in them, they wrote nearly the same thing every year. Oh, how old she was getting! Oh, how graceful she was becoming! And had she found any nice young men? And, then, perhaps a teasing reference to St. Miator's reputation as the "school of brides" – but it was impossible to take humor from it when she knew they were wishing for it to be so.

She sighed, and shut her eyes, pressing her hands firmly down on the unfolded letters. They did not expect college, even if her parents did. And even her parents expected rapid marriage to directly follow. Even at such a distance, she could already detect the inevitable disappointment; entering a female into the family registry did not seem like something that would appeal to her traditional family.

Boys and men were something she had never developed an interest in. As a child, she had happily played house sans males, her voice chirping that the lack of a boy to play a husband was not a problem at all. She had always begged for the manga with the pretty girls, eyes stretching down their length, taking in the artful clothing and pleasant curves. She disliked the male form for this – it was all sharp points and angles, no softly sloping joints.

It wasn't that she disliked _boys_, per say, just… well, she didn't find them particularly attractive or emotionally satisfying. Girls whispered secrets and giggled and shared close moments; boys were mostly distant or teasing. They could share their own moments, but generally these were marred by violence. Girls were just so much more… wonderful.

She absentmindedly traced the female form with her hands. She had found it odd when female classmates began giggling about boys instead of candy. Before then, she had noticed no difference between herself and so many of her female classmates. At the end of elementary school she had asked her best friend if they would be the closest of friends forever – and the girl had replied that, no, some day her husband would be closer. She remembered herself flinching back slightly, although the other girl didn't notice; instead, she blushed and laughed suddenly, and wondered aloud what her husband would be like. Tamao hadn't seen the girl since.

Even at Astraea, Tamao felt herself as slightly apart – romance between girls was somewhat common, but with so many of them it seemed only temporary. Many of these girls even smirked, winking while stating that they were "lesbian until graduation". They still thought of wedding dresses – to them, their "girlfriends", if they could be called that, were simply substitutes for the boyfriends they'd have if school policies weren't so strict.

Tamao occasionally dreamt of wedding dresses – but two of them, and lots of lace, and no cologne. And when she thought of wedding nights, there was never any risk of pregnancy involved.

The door banged open, and Tamao was drawn abruptly out of her thoughts, her head snapping to the noise. Nagisa burst in, cheerful demeanor instantly flooding the room. Tamao smiled – she couldn't help it.

"Ta-maooo!"

"Hello, Nagisa."

"Oo, you picked up the mail!" The girl had crossed the room, flinging her bag down on her bed as she went, and now she grasped the two letters. She read the crayon address first, "Aw, Touya sent me a letter! He must've finished learning his hiragana."

She flipped to the next letter, and there was a silence. Her face settled into a more serious smile, a content look only achieved when one is certain of their relationships. She settled into her own chair, carefully pulling the flap open, and drew out the letter. A faint hint of lavender floated on the air.

Tamao's back stiffened slightly, and she turned back to her own desk, staring at the picture frame before her. A year younger version of herself stood there, arm looped through the arm of a red-haired girl, the one who was still only a few feet and a million miles away. Her own face was pressed against Nagisa's shoulder, right hand grasping Nagisa's own left. Nagisa looked somewhat bewildered, and she could almost see the confused blinking the camera had been unable to capture. Their black uniforms were outlined against the blue sky, crisp in their early semester form.

Behind her, a letter was set down on Nagisa's desk, crinkling softly against the wooden surface. "Shizuma is coming to visit me soon – she's been very busy because it's her first year at college, but she says she has time the second Sunday from now."

Nagisa was more mature now. She was not mature by any means, but there was less of a childish edge to her personality now than there had been even just a year prior. Tamao tipped her head, bangs obscuring her eyes, "Oh – well, that should be fun."

Nagisa bounded upwards, her chair rocking back violently, and spun impulsively on the spot, "I can't wait!" She stopped and looked suddenly at the closet and the bureau, "Oh, I wonder what I'll wear? And do you think I have to get permission from the sister? Or is it okay because she only just graduated?"

Tamao turned around, forcing a smile, "Well, I suppose you should ask Tsubomi – I'm sure she knows the rules even for Miator, after all!"

Nagisa grinned back, "I bet she does!" She left her desk, happily pushing in the chair, "I'm gonna go tell Hikari and Yaya!" She started to leave the room, quickly pulling the door open before skidding to a halt, "Oh!" She turned back, "Will we have dinner together tonight?"

"Of course, Nagisa – always."

"Thanks, Tamao! You're such a good friend!" The door shut, and the girl was gone from view. Tamao looked at the shut pine.

"Yes, always…"


	9. Chapter Eight

A/N: Hey, look at what I decided to pick up again after nearly two years of ignoring it.

Anyway, I would like to note at this point that I intend to introduce Kusanagi Makoto, a character who appears in the light novels and manga – but not the anime – to the storyline. However, I may take some liberties with her character, as I have not actually read the light novels or manga myself, and so cannot do an entirely proper portrayal of her character. But I believe most of us are familiar with the anime incarnation the most, so I shall ask that you please bear with me.

**Chapter Eight**

If there was one emotion which best embodied Chikaru, it was a sense of amused satisfaction. And it was the sensation she was feeling even now, as she went to meet the new le Rim transfer, for the duty at hand reminded her of her own curious climb to power within le Rim, and the influence she had managed to exert in that position, despite seemingly having nothing to do with anything. Chikaru was profoundly good at keeping out of the ground skirmishes many of her peers were seemingly unable to avoid, and perhaps this was what permitted her to become president of her school – while others in the running in the position had pettily sniped at one another, she herself had remained at a slight distance, observing with an inward smile while never getting involved herself – visibly at least. She could still recall the looks of shock on the faces of her rivals when the voting tallies were posted in the main hall of the school – a shock that was so profound, apparently, that neither had ever said a word to her or given her even the slightest bit of trouble since.

However, Chikaru couldn't claim that her amusement stemmed solely from her memories of power seizure – part of it also had much to do with the fact that permitting her to guide transfer students also permitted her to induct people into her Transformation Club. She had gotten Remon and Kizuna to join through being assigned as their guide back when they were first years, and Kagome had come into the club through the same process, except with Kizuna as her guide. So, admittedly she had never gotten a transfer, but transfers were somewhat rare. The fact remained that it gave her the opportunity, though.

Yukizawa Fuyuko… what a cold name![1] She wondered what on earth would bring a girl who was that old into a place such as Astraea Hill – the schools contained within were the sorts of places that snobbishly demanded a loyalty best demonstrated by one's faithfully attending for the full seven years of junior high and high school. And when transfers did appear, they generally had the "good" sense to do so before the half-way mark, the fourth year. It was strange to have someone entering in the fifth. And she didn't recognize the surname…

Chikaru almost bit her tongue, realizing with a start that she was beginning to sound like her mother – didn't recognize the surname! What utter junk! Her mother had been extremely disappointed when Chikaru had opted for St. le Rim as opposed to one of the more "proper" schools at Astraea, arguing that le Rim wasn't as distinguished and worthwhile as St. Miator or St. Spica (her mother herself had been a Miator girl, married practically the moment her diploma passed into her hands). Chikaru had been forced to apply to all three, but Spica and Miator had turned her down after some skillful self-sabotage at the respective interviews, and thus forced her mother to accept le Rim as her daughter's school-to-be. But the woman hadn't quite recovered yet, and barely disguised her sneers at the more modern le Rim during the time Chikaru spent at home. Chikaru preferred spending her school breaks visiting her underlings… or even distant relatives.

She made a mental note to cajole Kizuna and Remon into bunny costumes at the next Transformation Club meeting – she was fairly certain that her mother had never done something so base and low-class as dressing up underage girls in fetishistic outfits in her life. Granted, she had once discovered a framed picture of her mother as a high school girl, her hands clasped with another girl's, along with a yellowed letter that contained some truly scandalous information (at least by her mother's standards) which suggested that some things at Astraea had never changed. She wondered if her father had any idea!

Her father was similar to her mother in that he was terrifically old fashioned. His own snobbery wasn't nearly as clear as his wife's, but he, too, looked down on those he considered to be beneath him socially and financially. But his disdain was disguised somewhat by his distant nature, he playing the role of the "proper" father he had learned from his own father as a child. "Proper" fathers left the concerns of his children to his wife, descending into their lives on rare occasion, generally something confined solely to dinnertime when he was not away on business. Chikaru couldn't remember anything about him from before the age of seven or so, and she sometimes liked to think that it was possible he hadn't existed before then at all – he'd simply been quietly interjected into their household because her mother's previous model had worn out and needed to be replaced! And so, apparently, he was a robot. The notion had kept her much amused during many a meal at home during her adolescence.

Considering her parents, she didn't know where she'd gotten her own personality from – perhaps there was a black sheep aunt or cousin who never warranted mention due to her parents' need for proper aristocratic behavior. That could be her project for her college years – discovering the lost Minamoto family treasure!

But Chikaru forced herself out of her reverie, tucking it away for later consideration, as she approached the parlor. Fuyuko would've been instructed by the sister to meet her there, and Chikaru was running a little bit late, so she hoped to find the girl waiting. She could hear some voices coming from within the room as she approached the door, and a few idle notes as the piano keys were hit at an unseen girl's whim. Maybe Fuyuko had managed to make some friends already, although classes had yet to start.

However, when Chikaru opened the door, she found that the voices belonged to a pair of Miator girls who were also responsible for absentmindedly picking at the piano's keyboard. A girl in a le Rim uniform stood by herself at the window, her hand parting the curtain as she looked at whatever lay beyond. Chikaru approached her; she had never seen the girl before, and this, coupled with the fact that she was wearing the le Rim uniform, led her to believe that this was Fuyuko.

As she walked up to her, Chikaru looked past her out the window, and saw that the gazebo lay within sight. But no one was out there, despite the pleasant weather. The wind tossed lightly at the trees, and occasionally the sunlight dimmed with a passing cloud. But, all in all, it seemed that the day was going to beautiful.

Chikaru tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder. The girl seemed to start somewhat, her somewhat glazed eyes suddenly regaining focus, and Chikaru realized she had not really been looking at the scenery beyond the window. As the girl turned around, Chikaru introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Minamoto Chikaru – I'm the president of St. le Rim, so the sister asked me to show you around. There's an orientation thing, but they only like to have the first years do that."

"Ah… I'm Yukizawa Fuyuko. It's nice to meet you."

Fuyuko's voice was a bit colorless, and there was a curious lack of physical presence to her. It was all Chikaru to do to keep from openly smirking – a perfect person to recruit for the Transformation Club! It was much easier to get people like this into good costumes than it was with someone occasionally hard-headed like Kizuna. And she probably wouldn't be too hard to persuade to join some of the other clubs too – the Waiting in Line Club could always do with another member.

But for now Chikaru was the allegedly responsible le Rim president, dutifully teaching her new sister-in-arms about le Rim and Astraea. She adjusted her attitude accordingly.

"Shall we start? I think you've probably gotten to know Ichigo-sha since you've been here a couple of days already, so let's head over to le Rim's classroom buildings."

Fuyuko nodded, looking a bit uncertain, but Chikaru marked it down to being simply her personality. She definitely seemed the sort of girl who was never entirely certain of anything, but never had enough will to speak out about her uncertainties, since she was also uncertain about whether she was uncertain or not. A bit different than the previous transfer students she had dealt with – Nagisa, from Miator, had been bubbly and bewildered, thanks in large part to Shizuma. Hikari, a Spica girl, had been similar to this, but it was clear her quietness and softness overlay a fairly warm person. But maybe Chikaru was just letting Fuyuko's parents' unfortunate naming sense get to her. She had just me the girl, after all; it was likely her apparent coldness was just a matter of her being shy. And the best way to deal with that fact was to force her into open conversation.

"So, where are you from?"

They had by now passed out of the front door of Ichigo-sha, the bright sun monetarily blinding after the darkness of the front hall. The air smelled warm, and there was a faint whiff of blooming flowers in the wind.

"Kyoto."

Chikaru breezed by the one-word answer, "Oh, and did you go to school there?"

"Yes." There was a slight hesitation, "Keisuke Senior High."

"Did you not like it?"

Fuyuko fiddled slightly with the hem of her shirt, not looking at Chikaru, hesitating yet again before responding, "Ah… no, I liked it…"

Chikaru raised her eyebrows, "Oh?"

But Fuyuko didn't offer a response, though, so Chikaru prodded more explicitly, "Why did you come here?"

"Well…" Her eyes now drifted toward the sky, "My mother thought it was more suitable."

Chikaru nodded, and decided to let personal details rest for the moment, "Well, I've been going here since I finished elementary school – there has been talk of expanding the schools into elementary levels, too, but they still haven't done it. People don't really like the idea of elementary-aged boarding students, after all, although many think not having one hurts us in relation to other private girls' schools."

Fuyuko nodded, seeming only vaguely interested.

"But, anyway," Chikaru continued, "you don't really need to know that stuff."

"The three schools here are somewhat competitive with one another, although Spica and Miator care a lot more about competing than le Rim does. Miator excels in academics, Spica in sports, and le Rim in the arts. Miator is also known as the school of brides, since a lot of the girls there are already engaged and will be married shortly after graduation. Spica is very strict and has some strange rules. le Rim is the most open of the three schools."

From where they stood on the path, the cathedral and library were both within view, along with the pond at the center of campus.

"The cathedral is there; we have Sunday worship services every week there. The library is right across the pond there. If you turn left on this path and walk for a little bit, you'll come to Spica. But we're going right, since that'll take us to le Rim."

Chikaru pointed things out as they walked, and related some other information, such as the stables that were by Spica. Fuyuko was generally quiet, giving only occasional utterances to indicate that she was listening. They arrived at St. le Rim with Chikaru's initial impression of Fuyuko having barely changed. Once inside of le Rim's buildings, she admittedly did a bit of an uncharacteristically perfunctory job. It was difficult to remain energetic when Fuyuko displayed such a lack thereof, along with a further lack of interest.

As the neared the end of the survey of le Rim's important rooms, which included where Fuyuko would be having homeroom, Chikaru finally passed onto the schools' system of governance, specifically that of the Etoile.

"Oh… a few friends of my cousin told me about that a little."

It was the longest sentence Chikaru had managed to pry out of her thus far, and she suddenly felt reenergized, "So your cousin goes here?"

"Yes… well, Miator."

"What's her name?"

"Tsukidate Chiyo."

"Oh, I know her! So I'm sure I know who the girls who told you about it were – was one of them half the Etoile."

"Ah… no."

"Oh, well, Hikari's probably busy with those duties, anyway…" Chikaru looked thoughtful for a moment, "Was there a girl with red hair?"

"Um, yes." The words came out sounding strangely stilted.

"Then that was Nagisa. I know all of them; I'm quite fond of those girls."

"Ah…" And it was back to the one-word responses.

"The Etoile is determined yearly through a contest. They participate in the student government meetings and help make decisions. But they also have more ceremonial things to do, like taking care of the Astraea greenhouse."

"They said… they were like the king and queen."

Chikaru laughed, "Yes, that is probably a good way of putting it."

They had arrived back at the dorm by now, and Chikaru opened the door for Fuyuko, gesturing for her to go ahead when the girl hesitated (something that was apparently her favorite thing to do). Chikaru stepped in, her eyes readjusting to the dimness of the hall. She was about to ask Fuyuko if she needed help with anything else, when she suddenly realized there was another person in the hall with them.

"Makoto!" She exclaimed with some surprise.

A green-haired girl clad in Spica white turned with a smirk. The prodigal daughter had returned.


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N: Just a quick thanks to one of the reviewers, , for the extra info on Makoto. I knew a few of those things, but you helped better round out what I know of her, so thank you. As for the hair, for whatever reason when I saw her picture from the manga, I had the impression that her hair was green.

Chapter Nine

"You sound so surprised to see me." Makoto stated, the smirk still firmly in place.

Chikaru regained her composure, smiling brightly, "Why, you never said you were returning!"

Her attitude had the proper affect, as Makoto now looked slightly annoyed, "Well, you mentioned missing me in every letter I got from you, so why are you so shocked?"

The smile remained in place, hiding the mild amusement Chikaru was feeling, "Well, I simply thought that studying at the St. Petersburg Academy of Music was a little more important than assuaging a friend, so I didn't expect you to actually come back with so little reason."

Makoto's smirk had fully fallen into a scowl now, one met by Chikaru's intentionally innocent smile. But she tossed her head slightly, her voice regaining its regular lilt of bravado, "Well, it isn't as if I simply returned because of that; I'm concerned about my dear St. Spica… you told me all about the Etoile election in your letters, and I find it frankly disappointing that our former president couldn't come up with a better option than a transfer and the bland Amane. But, then again, Toumori wasn't exactly the most imaginative of people…"

Chikaru cocked her head, "But the election is over now – you can't do anything about it, unless you were planning on digging up some dirt on either Amane or Hikari." She smiled maddeningly again, "I didn't know you'd fallen to such depths, Makoto! But it has been a while since I've seen you."

Makoto looked mildly annoyed, but avoided verbalizing that fact, "Well, I couldn't return mid-term, so I had to wait. And I'm back now to ensure that our reputation doesn't get further sullied than I'm sure it already has. And, of course, they're only Etoile for the year…"

Makoto's eyes wandered, and it seemed that she only now noticed the presence of Fuyuko, whose own eyes were fixed elsewhere, hazily indicating her lack of attention to the subject at hand. Makoto looked to Chikaru quizzically, as the girl with the pale blue hair was in the le Rim uniform.

"Oh, pardon my rudeness," Chikaru said, quickly recovering from her gaffe, "This is Yukizawa Fuyuko – she's a transfer to St. le Rim this year, so I've been showing her the campus." Chikaru turned to Fuyuko, "And this is Kusanagi Makoto – she goes to Spica, but she was studying music abroad in Russia last year."

It was at this that Makoto launched into her debonair mode, one which always came off slightly comically due to her lack of height. She took Fuyuko's hand, kissed it, and smiled devilishly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Fuyuko looked slightly flustered, "Uh, and the same." But Chikaru noticed a slight hint of irritation to her voice, and she smiled inwardly – Makoto wasn't quite Shizuma when it came to the fine art of wooing a would-be fan.

Fuyuko had stiffened her shoulders now, further adding to the impression Chikaru was getting of annoyance, and spoke of her own accord for once, "I must be going – I would like to iron my uniform and freshen it up for classes to-morrow. Thank you for your help." She gave a stiff bow before turning away. She made her way up the stairs, and vanished around the corner.

"I don't think you quite impressed her."

Makoto shrugged, "Well, she's one of your degenerates – I just have to focus on my own flock."

"So you're already making plans for Etoile? Even Shion never started that early!"

"It's just something to keep in mind." Makoto said nonchalantly.

Chikaru grinned, "My, but who on earth would you run with? You've been away for a year, your fans have evaporated! And, sadly," She put a hand to her heart, throwing on a melodramatic look of woe, "your dearest friend is but a lowly le Rim student! It shall never be so!"

Makoto looked annoyed again, "No one even knows I'm back yet; this hall would be stuffed otherwise."

"Oh, of course, of course…"

It was fun for Chikaru to pick at Makoto. Makoto had been a classmate of hers back in elementary school, and the two had become fast friends in kindergarten. Chikaru had always played the role of the instigator, prodding at her ambitious friend whenever the chance presented itself. Makoto had teased her when she announced her intention to attend le Rim is she had to go near Astraea at all, and she had returned the favor when Makoto rhapsodied about the ever-so-wonderful Spica. Neither of them would ever have made an even half decent Miator student; Chikaru suspected that something such as marriage would never be in the cards for Makoto, no matter how much that would grate on her family.

Marriage. It seemed a continuing theme for all of them, all the rich young women dashing around Astraea, even though people only talked about the Miator girls. Marriage and heirs and lace and money. Did anyone ever mentioned mistresses? But, in these cases, not for the husbands! Although they probably had one tucked away, too, feeling smug even as their wives were busily hoodwinking them without batting an eye.

Ah, but there were a few students whom the issue of marriage would never touch, although they were few and far between – Shizuma had been one, and maybe the current Etoile did too. Kaname and Momomi were definitely on that list, along with a few of the financial scholarship girls who simply had more freedom by dint of their family's lack of "prestige".

And, yes, Makoto was definitely on that list, too, although Chikaru figured this had more to do with Makoto's simple penchant for wooing, as opposed to any desire to emplace herself within a homosexual relationship. Makoto enjoyed attention, and she enjoyed getting it from a lot of people; it also wasn't the false front that Shizuma employed following Kaori's death. No, Makoto was doing a good job of setting herself up as a womanizer, although Chikaru had a feeling that she would've womanized men, too, were the setting coed.

Chikaru drew out of her thoughts, and gazed at Makoto. The pair had begun walking toward the study room, as Makoto had begun to move that way. She was now going full-speed in an impassioned monologue about the impeccable reputation of Spica, and how it was at risk of being irreparably marred if something was not done, for things had been set askew, and Spica's image could not keep impressive forever if such things were allowed to continue. Chikaru merely smiled and nodded her head on occasion, not caring terribly much about the subject at hand. But it was funny to see Makoto get worked up about it.

As they drew near the study room, Chikaru interrupted Makoto, "Oh, Makoto, are you going to be going to dinner at the regular time tonight, or do you still have some unpacking to do?"

"No, I'm all done with that, why?"

"I have a few friends I'd like you to meet." Chikaru said as she turned the handle on the door.

Makoto broke into a grin, her tirade forgotten, "Of course!"

After all, there was nothing Makoto enjoyed more than meeting potential new fans.


End file.
